Educational Policy and Planning

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Browsing Educational Policy and Planning by Author "Adugna, Getachew (PhD"

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    Research for Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar Universities: Policy and Practices from a Comparative Perspective
    (AAU, 2021-02) Teshome, Techane; Adugna, Getachew (PhD
    Globally and nationally, there is a significant lack of empirical studies investigating research for Sustainable Development (SD) at higher education institutions (HEIs). This study attempted to address this gap from a comparative perspective on research for SD policies and practices at two major HEIs in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar Universities. The study aimed to explore through three primary research questions: how is SD manifested in Ethiopian national policy and university documents; how do the studied universities practice research for SD; and what are the similarities and differences between the two universities in research for SD policy and practice. Bernstein‟s (2000) theory of educational sociology, supplemented by Lindensjo and Lundgren (2000) provided the theoretical impetus of the study. The comparative designs relied on the qualitative data collected from in-person interviews, written interviews, and the documents used in this analysis. Fifty-eight participants were selected for the study and the empirical data were generated in both universities in 2019 and 2020. The analysis was done based on Philips‟s (2006) six steps comparative data analysis. The findings show clear variation vertically (macro to micro) and similarity horizontally between the two universities. The global development approaches (mega) were influencing factors for the incorporation of SD policies and practices in the Ethiopian national context (macro). However, it was not immediately apparent how SD integrates into the national education system (meso). At the micro-level, the overall strategies of both the universities lack clear communication regarding SD. Finally, the study implied that active coordinating, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the national policy are essential to enhance horizontal and vertical coherence in SDG implementation. Sustainable Development needs to be articulated in national education documents. Beside, university wide transformation is vital following the national context, and detailed university mission statements should reflect a commitment to SD policy and practice. The SD research policy at Research for Sustainable Development… both universities needs to be formulated and introduced to prevent implementation problems as multiple university actors‟ work independently. In terms of contribution, research for SD could tie the locations in which each university is resilient and could benefit both policy and practice development